Latch and latch lock



uy E5, 93@ L.. OFFERMAN ET AL LATCH AND LATCH LOCK Filed April 21. 1927' llIllllllIl/lllllll *nur 7 lllllIlllIlll/Arlll ATTORNEY Patented July l5, 1930 tra PATENT OFFICE LOUS OFFERMAN, OF BROOKLYN, AND MAX BLANSHAFT AND ABRAHAM SAVITZKY, OF BRONX, NEJV YORK LATCH AND" LATCH LOCK -Application mea April 21,

This invention relates to improvements in latches and latch locks for brief cases and the like, and has, asl one of its objects, the provision of means for quickly freeing the hasp member of the brief case cover or flap from the latch casing on the brief case body.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device with a plurality of latching or loclring positions to permit expansibility of the brief case, and in which the hasp member will be automatically and positively ejected from either f its positions in the latch casing when the latch keeper is retracted.

Another object is to provide such a device which is extremely simple in construction, economical to manufacture, strong, durable and reliable in service, of neat appearance7 and a substantial advance in the art.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter set forth, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings where in a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown by way of illustration, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved latch-lock in use, the brief case being shown only fragmentarily;

Fig. 2 is a view similar t0 Fig. 1, with the hasp member disassociated from the latch;

F ig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and on a larger scale;

Fig. 4t is a rear view of the latch casing and clamping plate;

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of the interior of the latch casing with the cover plate removed; l

Fig. 6 is a-horizontal transverse sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1;

Fig'. V7 is a fragmentaryvertical transverse sectional view lon line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 5; f K

F ig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the keeper or latch plate per-se; and

1927. serial No. 185,388.'

Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the novel ejecting spring, per se.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the improved latch comprises a body portion 11 which is adapted to Vbe secured to the front wall 12 of a brief case or the like, and a hasp portion 13 secured to the cover or closure flap 14 of said brief case. The hasp portion 13 may be conveniently formed from a single piece of sheet metal bent intermediate its ends to provide an outer plate 15 and an inner plate 16, between which a portion of the closure iap 14 may be clamped and held as by rivets 17 (Fig. 3). Extending inwardly from the inner plate 16 is a hasp hook 18 which may be secured to said inner plate 16 as by riveting at 19, and said hook 18 may be substantially rectangular in cross-section and provided with a beveled portion 20 adjacent its inner end.

The body portion 11 may preferably be in the form of a casing having internal mechanism for cooperation with the hasp hook 18, and said casing of the embodiment specifically illustrated, comprises integral back and side walls 21 and 22, respectively, terminating in lateral flanges 23, 24C, 25, and 26, to which is secured a cover plate 27 by rivets 28, or other suitable fastening means. The cover plate 27 is shown in the drawings as of a greater area than that of the casing body and may have any desired outline preferably one which will be of aesthetic appearance and provided with an inwardly extending peripheral flange 29 which is adapted to overlie the extreme edges of the flanges 23 to 26, inclu sive, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Said cover plate is further characterized by one or more openings 30, there being three such openings shown in the drawings for the selective reception of the hasp hook 18, and within the casing adjacent said openings are means for retaining said hook 18 in closed position.

The keeper is best shown in Figs. 3, 5, 6` and 9, and may preferably be formed from sheet metal having a pair of parallel side portions 31 and 32 connected by a plurality o-f spaced transverse keeper members 33, which correspond in number and spacing with the apertures 30 in the plate 27. Said keeper ortions 33 are preferably arranged to lie against the inner side of the plate 27, While the side portions 31 and 32 bear against the inner side of the casing back wall 21 in such a manner as to be free to reciprocate lonitudinally within the casing. Adjacent its ower end the side portion 32 is provided with a slot 34 for the secuienient of o-ne end of a substantially flat spring 35, the other end of which bears against the lower casing side wall 22 in such a manner as to normally urge the keeper upwardly in the casing and so that the transverse keeper portions 33 extend partially across the apertures 30 (Fig. 3).v The upper edges of the transyerse portions 33 are beveled as at 36 to provide a cooperating cam surface for the beveled poraion 20 of the hook 18, and from this it will be evident that as the closure flap 14 is closed against the brief case body 12 and the hook 18'inserted in one of the apertures 3Q, the keeper or latch plate will be automatically forced out of the way of the extremity of the hook-18, and after said hook has been p uslied all the way to its proper position within the latch casing the spring will force the latch late up again to interlocking engagement with the hook. Secured to the side portion 32 of the latch plate, as by riveting at 37, is a suitable knob or finger piece 38 which has a shank portion 39 extending outwardly through a slot 4() in the cover plate 27, and by means of said finger piece the latch plate or keeper may be manually retracted when desired to open the latch.

1n order to automatically eject the hasp hook 18 from the casing when the keeper is retracted, a suitable spring is disposed within the casing to noimally bear against the inner end of the hook 18, and one form of such a spring is shown in detail in Figs. 5, G and 10. It may be formed from relatively thin sheet steel with a suitable spring temper, and the illustrated embodiment includes a substantially vertical body portion 41 having a plurality of spaced lateral extensions 42 corresponding in number with tlie apertures 3() and arranged to partially underlie said apertures whereby to be disposed in the path of the inserted hook 18. The body portion 41 may further be provided at its inner edge with a pair of off-set attaching lugs 43 which are adapted to be received in suitable notches 44 in the casing flange 2G, and the entire spring is clamped and lirn1- lly held in place between the cover plate 27 and said flange 26, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 8. From this it will be apparent that when the keeper is retracted through the instrumentality of the finger piece 38, the free end of one of the spring portions 42 (corresponding with the particular aperture 30 in which the hook has been disposed) will positively force the hook 18 out of the casing and through the aperture 30, thus rendering the opening of the brief case considerably easier than with prior art devices and be cause of this fact protecting the leather adjacent the hasp portion 13 from being pulled out of shape.

Any desired type of lock may be associated with the improved latch, that shown in the drawin s being one of a number of well known orms which comprises a locking lever 45 which is pivoted at 46 to the back wall 21 of the casing, and having a projecting slioulder portion 47 adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with an abutment or shoulder 48 on the side portion 41 of the lock plate. Preferably such a locking lever is provided with a protuberance 49 on its inner side and is sufliciently yieldable to allow the lever to be moved from one position to the other defined by the seating of said protuberance within recess 50 in the casing back wall 21` A stud 51 is also mounted upon said back wall 21 and extending toward the cover plate 27, said stud constituting a guide for the application of an ordinary key, for the accommodation of which the cover plate 27 is provided with a key hole 52.

In applying the latch body 11 to the brief case, the wall 12 may be formed with an aperture 53 through which the casing body may extend, or in place of said aperture said wall 12 may merely be depressed, depending more or less upon the specific proportions used in the make-up of the latch casing and its cover plate. The embodiment illustrated is desirable because it is relatively thin and therefore has a neat appearance and at the same time does not occupy any substantial space within the brief case. The side flanges 25 and 26 of the casing may preferably be provided with a plurality of spaced tongues 54 which are adapted to be extended inwardly through the material of the brief case wall 12 and through slots 55 in a clamping plate 56 which is disposed over the casing body at the inner side of said wall 12 and which after assembly is firmly held in place by the defiection of said tongues 54. (Figs. 4 and 6).

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means for positively guiding the hasp portion into its proper relationship with thel latch body, and for relieving the hasp hook of lateral shearing strain when in use.. For this purpose, the inner plate 16 of the hasp portion 13 may be provided with em bossed ridges 57 (Figs. 2, 3, and 6) adjacent its side edges, said ridges being substantially parallel and spaced apart a distance equal to the width of the upper portion of the latch cover plate 27. The arrangement is such that when the device is closed, the ridges 57 bear against the opposite side edges or anges 29 of the plate 27, and, in view of this fact, the hasp portion 13 will be definitely related to the body portion without strain on the hook 18. Integral flanges or separate members may be substituted for the ridges 57 if desired, and they may be omitted from some of the commercial embodiments.

It Will be evident from the foregoing that a substantial advance has been made ,in the art by Way of providing a latch from Which the hasp member Will be positively disassociated When the keeper of the latch is retracted, and the improved latch Will enhance the appearance of the article to which it is applied, and is capable of being economically produced on a quantity basis. The cover plate 27 and finger piece 38, as Well as the hasp portion 13, may be suitably ornamented if desired, or provided With a pleasing` surface finish such as nickel plating. While the invention has been disclosed specifically with reference to its application to brief cases, it is of course, to be understood that it is not restricted to such use but may be employed in association with other types of bags, carrying cases, or the like; and, furthermore, that the invention is susceptible of numerous modifica-tions in the details of construction and arrangement of parts, and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as fall Within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

l. A latch of the class described, comprising a casing having an opening in one Wall, a hasp member having a hook adapted for insertion in said opening, a keeper Within the casing, said keeper comprising oppositely disposed spaced apart members connected one to the other by an arched member bea-ring against the inner face of one Wall of the oasing and the parallel members lying against the inner face of the other Wall of the casing, said keeper being movable into and out of locking engagement with said hook, and a spring secured Within the casing adjacent said opening, for ejecting the hook therefrom when the keeper is moved to unlocking position. Y 2. Av latch of the class described, comprising a casing including a cover plate provided With a number of aligned openings, a hasp member having a hook adapted for insertion in said openings, a keeper slidably mounted Within the casing and comprising parallel spaced apart members connected one to the other by arched members corresponding in number to the aligned openings in the casing cover plate, said keeper being movable into and outA of locking engagement With said hook` and resilient means Within the casing disposed in relation to the aligned openings in the casing cover plate for engaging the end of the hook in the selected opening in which inserted to eject it through theopening when the keeper is moved to unlocking position.

3. A latch of the class described, comprising a casing including a cover plate provided with a number of aligned openings, a hasp member having a hook adapted for insertion vin said openings, a keeper slidably mounted Within the casing adjacent said openings and comprising parallel members connected one to the other by arched members corresponding in number to the aligned openings in the casing cover plate, a spring acting against the keeper to normally maint-ain said keeper in locking engagement with the hook, means for manually retracting the keeper to release the hook, and means comprising a spring disposed in relation to the aligned openings in the casing cover plate for automatically ejecting the hook through the selected opening in Which inserted when the keeper is retracted.

4. A latch of the class described, comprising a casing including a cover plate provided with a number of aligned openings, a hasp member having a hook adapted for insertion in said openings, a keeper slidably mounted Within the casing adjacent said openings and comprising parallel. members connected one to the other by arched members corresponding in number to the aligned openings in the casing cover plate and formed With openings between the several arched members, a spring acting against the keeper to normally maintain said keeper in locking engagement With the hook, means for manually retracting the keeper to release the hook, and a flat spring mounted Within the casing comprising parts disposed in relation to the openings between the arched members of the keeper and the aligned openings in the casing cover plate and adapted to press against the inner end of the inserted hook and to eject said hook from the casing through the selected opening in Which inserted when the keeper is retracted.

LOUIS OFFERMAN. MAX BLANSHAFT. ABRAHAM SAVITZKY. 

